Application Project Owner

Job Description

PLEASE ATTACH THE ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS LISTED AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE

Job ID: 35496
Agency: Department of Education - Finance and Management Division
Location:Statewide (must work within the state of South Dakota)Salary: $64,895.04-$76,576.15/annually, depending on qualifications
Pay Grade: K
Closing Date: Open Until Filled

The Application Product Owner will serve as the strategic liaison between the Department of Education (DOE), BIT, and development teams for the Educator Certification application and other BIT-supported DOE systems. This role is responsible for defining product vision, managing the product backlog, and ensuring that solutions align with business goals and user needs. The Application Product Owner will work closely with stakeholders, developers, and testers to deliver high-impact features through Agile methodologies, driving continuous improvement across multiple DOE applications.

Key Responsibilities:

• Act as the primary point of contact for the DE06 application and other DOE systems supported by BIT.
• Collaborate with DOE program staff, BIT teams, and vendors to gather and prioritize business requirements.
• Maintain and refine product backlogs, ensuring clarity, feasibility, and alignment with strategic objectives.
• Lead Agile ceremonies including sprint planning, backlog grooming, and sprint reviews.
• Translate business needs into user stories and acceptance criteria for development teams.
• Coordinate testing, user acceptance, and deployment activities across multiple applications.
• Monitor product performance and user feedback to inform future enhancements.
• Ensure compliance with state and federal regulations, data privacy standards, and accessibility requirements.

This is a full-time position with the Department of Education - Finance and Management Division. For more information on the Department of Education - Finance and Management Division, please visit https://doe.sd.gov/ofm/ .

The Ideal Candidate Will Have:

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Information Technology, Education, or a related field;
• experience working with cross-functional teams in a public sector or education environment;
• knowledge of data governance, FERPA, and other compliance frameworks relevant to education technology.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• proven experience as a Product Owner, Business Analyst, or similar role in software development;
• strong understanding of Agile/Scrum methodologies and product lifecycle management;
• excellent communication, facilitation, and stakeholder engagement skills;
• ability to manage multiple products and priorities in a fast-paced environment;
• familiarity with education systems, state government operations, or DOE applications is preferred;
• proficiency with tools such as Jira, Azure DevOps, or similar platforms.

Additional Requirements: To be considered, please attach your resume.

This position is exempt from the Civil Service Act.
This position is eligible for Veterans' Preference per ARSD 55:10:02:08.

NCRC: If you possess a National Career Readiness Certificate, please submit the certificate with your application. For more information on how to acquire a National Career Readiness Certificate contact a South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation Job Service Office. A certificate is not necessary to be considered.

The State of South Dakota does not sponsor work visas for new or existing employees. All persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and complete an Employment Eligibility Verification, Form I-9. The State of South Dakota as an employer will be using E-Verify to complete employment eligibility verification upon hire.

The State of South Dakota offers $0 premium employee health insurance option plus eleven paid holidays, generous vacation and sick leave accrual, dental, vision, and other insurance options, and retirement benefits. You can view our benefits information here . This position is a member of Class A retirement under SDRS.

Must apply online: https://gen-stateofsouthdako-trn.inforcloudsuite.com/hcm/xmlhttp/shorturl.do?key=3UV
You must apply online, emailed resumes or submissions will not be accepted.
South Dakota Bureau of Human Resources
Telephone: 605.773.3148 Email: careers@state.sd.us
http://bhr.sd.gov/workforus
"An Equal Opportunity Employer"

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